THE opening of a new children's home which caused controversy in Stacksteads has been put back several months to "ensure it works".

Holly House, Booth Road, was due to officially open in October after manager Robin Lageard met with residents to calm fears that it would be used for inner city troublemakers.

Now he says it might not open until March. Mr Lageard today said: "We don't want to rush things as it's important to ensure that it works."

Locals had been concerned Holly View House, formerly Booth Grange private home for the elderly, was to house a large number of problem children.

But Mr Lageard, who works for care home firm Quality Time Care, met residents to reassure them that the home would only cater for eight to 14-year-olds from a 40 to 50-mile radius, and from deprived homes rather than the rumoured young offenders.

Mr Lageard, who runs two other homes in Bacup and Dunnockshaw, has now delayed the opening to ensure the new service runs smoothly.

The manager, who lives in Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, said: "I am currently just using the building as an office. It's going to be in the New Year perhaps around March when we open. It usually goes quiet at this time of year and referrals are quiet at the moment so we have decided to wait.

"We have to make sure we have the right mix of young people as we care about what we do.

"From a business point of view it's very important that we can work with and offer a service to the young people and to ensure that they can live together. We need to look at all the circumstances of an individual which is something we take very seriously."

Councillor Christine Lamb said: "Residents were told it was going to open in October and now that it hasn't I am sure the people who live locally will been keen to know when the home plans actually to open.

"I have met with the manager and he seems to have a lot of experience and the other sites appear to be well run."

The old people's home closed last August, unsettling 10 residents.

It has now been refurbished by Manchester-based Quality Time Care, which also runs Moorland View in Burnley Road, Dunnockshaw, and the Hillside View in Rochdale Road, Britannia.